Generosity of Malaysians
Comment by Wong SulongTHE generosity of Malaysians knows no bounds.
Whether big or small, when the cause is noble and worthy, Malaysians will rise to the occasion. We, at The Star, know.
Take the case of our recent Festive Wish campaign targeted at fulfilling some of the basic needs of welfare homes and associations and handicapped groups, such as television sets, fridges, tables, wheelchairs, sports goods and toys.
The response from Malaysians was overwhelming.
So too was the response towards The Star’s big charity campaigns during the year, starting with the Dances of the Dynasties in January, the KL Fashion Week in April and the Darfur Fund in October/ November and the Shaolin Kung Fu Masters Return in the middle of this month.
The Star raised several million ringgit from these campaigns – all for charity.
Now, a great tragedy has befallen Malaysia and countries spanning the Indian Ocean, caused by tsunamis triggered off by a massive underwater earthquake off the coast of Aceh in Sumatra last Sunday.
More than 39,000 people in Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar and Somalia in East Africa have been killed.
Millions of others have been affected.
The disaster in Malaysia is not on the same scale as the catastrophe that hit Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka.
Even so, scores of Malaysians could have perished here in Malaysia or in resorts in other countries.
Malaysia has never experienced tsunamis before, making the disaster more tragic and perplexing to the victims.
Our thoughts and prayers go to them and their families, as well as to the tens of thousands in the neighbouring countries.
My good friend, Datuk Kalimullah Hassan, group editor-in-chief of the New Straits Times, took the initiative to call up a few businessmen friends, and with pledges of RM850,000, launched the NST/Berita Harian Tsunami Disaster Fund.
The generous Kalimullah (himself a successful businessman before taking on the NST job) pledged RM100,000.
Within two days, the fund collected more than RM3mil and more money is flowing in.
At Menara Star, the phones were jammed with callers wanting to make donations to the tsunami victims even before we announced The Star Earthquake/ Tsunami Relief Fund in association with the Malaysian Red Crescent Society and Mercy Malaysia.
The Star, in the past, has worked separately with the Malaysian Red Crescent Society and Mercy Malaysia but this time, we are working with them together to reach out to as many Malaysians as possible.
Like the NST/BH fund, The Star Earthquake/Tsunami Relief Fund is receiving overwhelming support.
Public Bank Bhd kicked off our campaign by generously donating RM1mil.
MNI Bhd chipped in with RM50,000 and the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur donated US$25,000 (RM95,000.)
The embassy donated a similar amount to the NST/BH fund.
As I was on my way to receive the cheque from Tan Sri Teh Hong Piow, founder and chairman of Public Bank, another good friend, Datuk Patrick Lim of Equine Capital Bhd, called. He wanted to make a contribution to The Star fund.
Since his company had already donated RM500,000 to the NST/BH fund, the proposed contribution would be “a smaller amount.” I thank him for his generosity.
The money keeps rolling in.
And it’s all for a noble cause – to show the tsunami victims and their families that Malaysians care and are with them in their moment of grief.
So readers, please give generously.
It does not matter whether it’s RM10 or RM1mil. Show that you care. May God bless you and all your loved ones.
Related stories:
RM1mil boost for The Star tsunami relief fund
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